Cajun Pasta Salad

Step 1

Put a large pot of water on the stove and bring it to a boil. Cook the pasta as directed by the package instructions.

Step 2

While the pasta cooks clean and dice the celery and red pepper. Separate the scallion whites from the greens and dice both. Set the green parts aside to garnish the salad.

Step 3

After the pasta is done drain it in a colander. Run cold water through it to cool it off quickly. Put the drained and cooled pasta in a large salad bowl. Toss it with the olive oil.

Step 4

Add the diced celery, red pepper and white part of the scallions to the salad bowl. Stir to mix.

Step 5

In a small bowl combine the mayonnaise, mustard, grated garlic, Cajun seasoning, lemon juice, horseradish, hot sauce, dill pickle juice, paprika and pepper. Stir to whisk it all together.

Step 6

Taste a small amount of the dressing and determine if it needs salt or not. This will depend on how much salt your Cajun seasoning includes, if any. Add salt if necessary and stir the dressing again.

Step 7

Pour the dressing over the pasta and stir to coat all the pasta. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Step 8

Serve garnished with a sprinkle of paprika and the reserved green scallion tops.

Step 9

This salad keeps well in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. It will thicken a bit over time. If desired you can stir in a few tablespoons of water before serving.